Messages

31

General Mach Discussion / Re: Homing Switches have me baffled (again!)

« on: March 19, 2010, 04:08:27 PM »

I think you may have something with BOB- I'll try using a different input, although it will probably take me a while to figure out the best way to do it.

Since the problem appeared with the re-install of Mach, I assumed it was software related, but it may be another one those "coincidental" hardware problems that have caused what few I hairs I have remaining to turn gray...

Thanks for the suggestions - I'll keep you posted.

Cheers,

ventuseu

32

General Mach Discussion / Re: Homing Switches have me baffled (again!)

« on: March 19, 2010, 03:42:47 PM »

With the BOB terminals jumpered together with 1/2" wire, the LED's are flashing yellow...

Cheers,

ventuseu

33

General Mach Discussion / Re: Homing Switches have me baffled (again!)

« on: March 19, 2010, 03:22:10 PM »

Enabling each switch individually - their behaviour remains the same.

Disconnecting the switches at the BOB results in solid yellow LED's, and trying to home the machine with disconnected switches gives the error message "Homing switch activated"...

Cheers,

ventuseu

34

General Mach Discussion / Re: Homing Switches have me baffled (again!)

« on: March 19, 2010, 03:02:25 PM »

Increasing the debounce to 2000 (it had been set at 250 since the initial set-up of the machine) doesn't seem to have any effect.

Yes, when I activate any of the switches all three of the LEDs change from flashing to solid yellow...

Thanks for the suggestions...

ventuseu

35

General Mach Discussion / Homing Switches have me baffled (again!)

« on: March 19, 2010, 11:21:03 AM »

I reloaded Mach to try and eliminate another problem (which it did), but now my homing switches are messed up.

I uninstalled Mach and the driver, did an install, and copied my .xml and screenset files back into the Mach folder. All the motor settings, custom screen, etc. seem to have been restored exactly. (I struggled briefly with a never seen before "Shuttle not found" error message, but found the solution to that one with quick Forum search).

My homing switches are all wired in series to port 1 pin 11. This set up has worked flawlessly for months, but now on the Diagnostics screen they are all flashing yellow. and when I try to "Ref. all home", the axis starts to move, stops, and the "Homing Switch active" error appears.

By enabling/disabling the switches individually and manually actuating them, it looks like all the switches are functional (i.e., the lights on the diagnostics page turn on and off with the switch actuation).

Everything else seems to be functioning normally. I'm able to run parts with LED's on the Diagnostics page flashing yellow, but I'd sure like to get my homing function back.

Any suggestions would be appreciated...

ventuseu

36

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Dyna 2800 modifications

« on: March 10, 2010, 06:11:55 PM »

Well, I've finally "completed" (I doubt that these projects are ever completed) converting my Dyna 2800 to Mach3.

The original motherboard was removed and replaced with a Candcnc BOB/EZstep package, and the original stepper motors were replaced with modern M495 Nema 34 steppers. The Dyna drivers were replaced with Gecko 201x's. The original control panel was left intact (Spindle controls, Estop, etc.).

The M495 were a bolt-on replacement (the .375 dia. shaft was a little hard to find) in spite of being significantly longer the original "Flat" motors. With a little care, the original wiring was maintained from the drivers to the motors.

The Dyna 2800 has a 2.5 belt reduction drive on the ballscrews, I think in order to get an acceptable resolution with the non-microstepping drivers and motors of 20 years ago(!). With the driver/motor combination now installed, I get a rather ridiculous 50800 steps/inch resolution, but it allowed a bolt on installation to be done pretty easily...

I couldn't be more pleased with the results. It just purrs along quietly and smoothly, although I had to up the kernal speed to 45khz in order to get the max speed up to 40 in/min (plenty for an old man like me and a 8"x7"x9" working envelope). I now have the best of original Dyna (solid construction, lubricated ballscrews, BT-30 Spindle) with a great control system (MACH 3, of course!).

My thanks to the Candcnc folks - their package works great, and reduced what could have been a major wiring project to about five minutes of plugging in ribbon cables. Also, all the folks on this forum from whom I shamelessly stole Touch Pad macros, screensets, and countless good ideas...

Cheers,

SF

37

General Mach Discussion / Re: Supplier of small quantities of Titanium and machining recommendations

« on: January 11, 2010, 11:48:03 AM »

I've had good luck with Titanium Joe:

http://www.titaniumjoe.com/

(Besides, they also sell Tee shirts with their logo...)

SF

38

General Mach Discussion / Re: Going back to Iraq, see ya fellas.......

« on: September 20, 2009, 04:07:03 PM »

Best of luck. I appreciate what you're doing, and what you've done...

Regards,

SF

39

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach 3 and older Techno

« on: September 16, 2009, 04:12:50 PM »

I've been running an old Techno gantry for about 2 years using Mach. (After 3+ years of of running the Mac 100 controller, I longed for a little more control!)

I essentially used the Techno power supply and replaced everything else in the control box. (The motors, motor wiring/home switches I left as originally installed). Using Bob Campbell's BOB and Gecko 201 drivers set up per their respective manuals and driven by a $250 rebuilt desktop PC, it runs perfectly. The only issue I have is rare unexplained Emergency Stops, but this problem certainly isn't unique to this set-up. (I suspect that the limit switch wiring is at fault, but this doesn't occur enough to make me actually fix the problem!).

My only regret is that I didn't move to Mach sooner...

ventuseu

40

Mach Screens / Z Inhibit/Automatic Z control

« on: August 21, 2009, 11:54:44 AM »

I'd like to add the looping/lower Z inhibit to my custom (i.e., slightly modified 1024 screen). My basic 1024 screen in the Mach folder doesn't have the MultiPass/Lower controls, only the fixed Z Inhibit settings.

Is the script/coding for the lower Z inhibit feature posted somewhere?

Thanks,

SF